UPDATED: Monday night December 15th was a big night for former security officers of the USS Enterprise D. Firstly, Michael Dorn is the latest Star Trek crossover to appear on the NBC comic-book drama Heroes where Star Trek The Next Generation’s Worf was a surprise guest star. And on Fox Denise Crosby (TNG: Tasha Yar) showed up on Prison Break. [images of both below + SPOILERS below]

President WorfDorn appeared in the episode "Dual" that aired tonight on NBC. This is final episode of Heroes "Volume 3 – Villains" (aka first half of the third season). In the episode Dorn shows up in the very last scene, which is actually a preview of the opening of the next volume of Heroes (Volume 4 – ‘Fugitives’), playing the unnamed President of the United States. The scene was mostly out of focus or with such tight close-ups that it was only in the final moments that you could recognize the actor who was playing the president. But any Star Trek fan would recognize that voice from the first moment he spoke. The scene portended what could be a recurring role for the actor in the next ‘Volume’ of Heroes, which kicks off on February 2nd, 2009.

The President of the United States (Michael Dorn -L) and Senator Nathan Petrelli (Adrian Pasdar – R middle image) in Heroes [NBC]

And it wasn’t just Dorn in Monday’s big Fall finale episode. George Takei, Sulu from The Original Series, also appeared in "Dual, reprising his recurring role as Kaito Nakamura, father of Hiro Nakamura. And he got to show off some of his sword skills.

George Takei in Heroes "Dual" [NBC]

Watch it NBC, G4TV and onlineHeroes airs on NBC at 9PM (8 Central). If you are catching this article within an hour of posting you still have time to catch this episode at its first showing at 9PM, and Mountain Time folks have time to catch end with Dorn. If you missed it, don’t worry as Heroes also repeats on Tuesday’s on G4TV. "Dual" should soon be available for viewing at NBC.com and Hulu.

Trek and Heroes – joined at the hipSince its first episode, Heroes has been full of Star Trek references (both overt and subtle – see video below). The show is also home to many Star Trek cast and crewmembers. Of course almost every episode of Heroes includes Star Trek’s new Spock, Zachary Quinto as the brain sucking Sylar, but this is the the second week in a row with a main Trek cast member guest star. In addition to this week, George Takei also appeared last week in the episode "Our Fathers" (watch the full episode on Hulu – in USA). Other major Trek stars to appear on Heroes include Nichelle Nichols (TOS: Uhura), Dominic Keating (ENT: Reed), and Malcolm McDowell (GEN: Soren). There are also numerous members of the Heroes crew who are Trek vets, most notably DS9 and VOY writer/producer Bryan Fuller, who left the Heroes at the end of Season One, but is returning for the later half of Season Three (see EW interview with Fuller from last week on his return to Heroes). Some have suggested Leonard Nimoy as a possible father to Sylar (Quinto), however last week that role went to John Glover, who played Lex Luthor’s father on Smallville, but who also had a guest spot on Star Trek Deep Space Nine. And maybe Sylar needs a grandfather.

Zach Quinto shows some Trek-Heroes connections

UPDATE: Doctor Yar on Prison BreakIn a bit of a strange coincidence, TNG’s Denise Crosby also had guest spot on a Monday Network show. Crosby played an unnamed ‘Doctor’ on the episode "Going Under." where she performed dangerous experimental brain surgery on the show’s hero Michael Scofield (played by Wentworth Miller). If you missed the episode, you can catch it online at FOX.com (starting later this week).

Denise Crosby on Prison Break [FOX]

Prison Break has had its fair share of Star Trek actors, including Dominic Keating (ENT: Reed) and most notably John Billingsley (ENT: Phlox), who had a major recurring character in the first season.

I’ve always felt divided on this cross-pollination among the sci-fi shows. While it’s a nice nod to the fans, it also increases the “geek” factor for all of the “normal” folks in the audience. “Stargate” is probably the worst example of this, bringing in alumni from “Star Trek” and “Farscape”. Plus we’re seeing it with “Sanctuary” bringing in “Stargate” cast.

I’d like to see sci-fi shows do the kind of thing FX did by getting Glenn Close for “Damages” and “The Shield”. Why can’t we get casting like that? Can you imagine “Sanctuary” with Anthony Hopkins or Denzel Washington? How about “Heroes” with Sophia Loren or Forrest Whitaker? Or William Peterson? Now that he’s off “CSI”, he needs something to do.

#9 – “Stargate” is probably the worst example of this, bringing in alumni from “Star Trek” and “Farscape”. Plus we’re seeing it with “Sanctuary” bringing in “Stargate” cast.

Personal tastes I guess. SG-1 last 2 seasons – ok, I get your point. The Farscape casting was a coup, and frankly brought fresh air to the series. Stunt or otherwise, ratings went up and stayed up.

Robert Picardo has had a great run with his character on SG-1 and SG-A., as has Connor Trinnear (? spelling unsure) with Atlantis. As for Sanctuary, many of the actors are local to Vancouver, and great friends so yes they’d work together again.

I’m not saying it hurts the show, creatively or otherwise. I just think that the perception of SF in the main would be enhanced a bit if they got actors who aren’t normally associated with SF all the time.

What about Eric Braden? Everyone knows him from “The Young & The Restless”, but he did a turn in the “Wonder Woman” pilot oh so many years ago.

heres more casting ideas…THE SHAT, Spader, and a complete out-of-left field crossover, Annette O’Toole as the U.S. Senator from Kansas, Martha Kent (LOL) also whenever Heroe’s series finale is gonna be, whether in a few months or years down the road, 10-to-1 they’ll pull a ‘Newhart’-like twist and reveal that all of ‘Heroes’ is actually a hidden Star Trek prequel series, a kind of new twist on the Eugenics Wars

also this season on “prison break” a one time ds9 villain had a big role in the first few episodes of this season.

cress williams has been on prison break this season. as soon as you see him on screen in prison break there is something about him that makes you go…hmmm…i’ve seen this guy somewhere before…under heavy make-up as a jem’hadar third talak’talan in the second season ds9 finale “the jem’hadar.”

Thanks, for the Heroes spoiler in the SUBJECT of this article. Couldn’t you have written something like “Michael Dorn makes surprise appearance in a show”? Did it have to be put into the subject, that he’s on Heroes? :(

I think there are going to be a lot of people from UK who will be disappointed too, because they thought, they can read the articles of this homepage without having to worry to get the newest Heroes episode spoiled.

Nice that they gave George some real screen time. Previously, it was usually one scene… or one scene and off the balcony with you! Ha. Also nice that Our Father and Dual were better episodes than we’ve seen for most of this season. Anyway, welcome President Worf. I don’t think anyone will be throwing shoes at you, unless they want a bat’leth up their… _____.

Well, to be fair, they put Dorn’s name in the opening credit scroll… it just became a matter of “when” he’d appear in the episode. I must compliment the makeup people for their youth-on-asian (that’s a joke, people) work with George. He really looked younger, not just made up to look younger, if you know what I mean.

Yes, as another poster mentioned above, another terrific and well acted reference to Star Trek in The Big bang Theory! Penny giving an autographed napkin from Leonard Nimoy to Sheldon. A really great moment!

Dorn as president was a nice surprise, saw his name in the credits so I was looking for it.